The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-03-09
NO. l..

"Of course. Your knowledge Of the
English language is not very extensive,
that's certain; but in the small amount
that you have acquired you seem to
have selected its brightest gems. Come
up the ladder and take something"
Whisky may not be in all respects the
equal Of the common school in calculat-
ing knowledge of the English language
but in the case of this Mexican captain
its effect was such that within two hours
after joining our captain in his cabin he
managed to convey the facts that his
vessel had been chartered by the three
gentlemen who first came ashore, and
that they had come to engage cargo of
negro laborers to work in a tobacco fac
tory of theirs in the City of Mexico.
When the Mexican had returned to his
brig, and I had finished writing up the
days log after supper, Captain Ellsworth
turned to me and said:
Steward, there's something ALFRED
strange about this thing"
"What thing?" 1 asked.
"Why, this rotten little brig, with its
dirty sails, its dirty crew, and the three
shabby aristocrats who have chartered
her-they are not over-clean themselves"
"Probably engaged in a dirty bust
ness?" I suggested.
Correct, said he. eff they wanted
Iiggers for factory hands why didn't
they stop at New Orleans-the French
niggers are the smartest of all, and can
be had by the cargo. Or, why didn't
they stop at Pensacola? Why did they
come clear around here to Jacksonville
for load of country bucks, the LATEST
and dullest of the whole caboodle? An
other thing, Mexicans can be hired
cheaper than niggers can be boarded,
and will do twice the work. What do
you make out Of it,"
81 make this out OF it, said I, ssthat
Mexican captain has Lied to you"
ssNo, he hasn't. Those fellows may
have Lied to him when they chartered his
brig, but he was straight enough with
me, that's sure
Next morning Captain Ellsworth called
at the hotel, but the three men had
gone. 81 used to know one of those
men before the war, said the landlord.
"He was e big planter up here in Ala
bama, just over the line, and when I
recognized him last night be said he said
he was going back to get some Of his old
slaves to 60 and work for him in Mexico"
In three days the Maple Leaf was
loaded and ready to sail, but the evening
before we were to sail Captain Ellsworth
attended fandango, got into an alterca-
ton, was arrested and released on his
personal parole to appear one week from
the day of arraignment for trial. In
vain he pleaded with the local magistrate
tc set the trial for the next day-the
complainant knew the captains anxiety
to sail and insisted upon his ssr;ghts.''
The week passed tediously away, and
Ellsworth remarked that he wished he
had gone to jail instead Of being released
on personal bail. Gas it is, said he, 81
am bound upon honor to stay and pay
my fine. II had gone to jail Z could
have kicked the old rattletrap to pieces
the first night and been half way to
AspinwaQ by this time
On the second day Of our delay the
three charterers of the little Mexican
brig returned, accompanied by some
thirty negroes. They Immediately went
on board; couple Of dray loads of pro-
visions were taken in, and in less than
an hour the brig had cast off and was
floating down with the current and the
tide. a clump of leaning cypress trees,
with long gray MOSES streaming from
the limbs, hid the ragged sails from
sight at last, and about the same moment
the hymn which the colored people had
been singing ceased to reach the ear.
There was certainly something singular
about the whole transaction.
We had left Aspinwau nearly a week,
having discharged our load of timber,
and were rapidly nearing Penambucuo,
where it was designed taking in cargo
OF hides and horns, when the lookout in
the foretop called out:
ssThe Immaculate Mexican!'
This was the name the crew had ap-
piled to the unclean brig that had loaded
the negroes at Jacksonville, and ali
hands were soon looking at the patched
sails and black pennant of their old ad-
quaintance, as she rapidly approached
US.
"What in Sancho is that brig doing
down here?" said Captain Ellsworth.
"There's something wrong, by hokey.
Make signals for her to heave to and
we'll speak her"
In half an hour the Mexican captain
was in our shippers cabin drinking clear
whisky by the cupful. At the end of
another hour he was lowered to his boat
and both vessels resumed their course.
''It's about as I expected" said ELS
worth at the supper table. "Those chaps
took the negroes to Brazil, landed at st.
Cynthia, SO the Mexican says, and he
didn't dare refuse to obey their orders"
':And what have they done with them?"
/ asked.
Either sold them into slavery and
pocketed the cash, or else they intend to
keep 'em themselves and become plan
ters.
Beware the Peacock Feather.